Leaf-turner for sheet-music.



W. A. HEXT. LEAP TURNER PoR-.SHEET MUSIC.

APPLICATION FILED DBU. 17, 1907.

Patented June-1,1909.

. c. was Mamas Ps1-:Rs nu., vmswmcran, n

WILLIAM A. IIEXT, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

LEAF-TURNER FOR SHEET-WIUSIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented .Tune l, .1909.

Application filed December 17, 1907. Serial No. L206,827.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. Hnxr, a citizen of the United States, and residing at lCincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leaf-Turners for Sheet-Music; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, attention being called to the accompanying drawing, with the reference characters marked thereon, which form also a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of devices used for turning leaves or sheets containing music.

In the following specification and particulai-ly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof, will be found a full description of my invention together with its manner of use, parts and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1, is a front elevation of the device showing it ready for use. Fig. i., is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3, is a top-view. Fig. 4, shows the center portion of the preceding view at enlarged scale andwith parts removed. Fig. 5, in a similar view shows a modification. Fig. G, is a side-elevation of the parts shown in Fig. er, the view being enlarged and taken on a sectional line indicated at 6 6, of Fig. 1. Fig. 7, is an enlarged view of the upper portion of Fig. 2. Figs. 8, and 9, are enlarged front and side views respectively of the leaf-holding clamp.

The general object of devices of this kind is to provide means which permit sheets of music to be turned over quickly and conveniently by the player who uses them, without causing an appreciable interruption in his performance.

The mechanical part of my device is supported upon a post 10, which may be connected for support in any suitable manner, either permanently or detaehably. I prefer the latter form of support and for such purpose provide a clamp 11, which has a socket 12, into which this post is fitted and in which it may be vertically adjusted. A set-screw 13, is provided in this socket whereby this post may be securely held in its adjuster position. The clamp is provided with setscrews 14, whereby, together with post 10, it may be detachably connected in any suitable manner as for instance to the musicrack 15, of a piano, or of a music-stand.

T he sheets of music A, are hung on arms 1G, by means of clamps B, which engage the sheets at their upper edge. Arms 16, are pivotally mounted upon the upper part of post 1.0, and arranged in a manner to be capable of swinging thereon in a horizontal plane. Since the number of sheets in the usual form of musical compositions is limited, a large number of arms is not required and from three to six is sufficient in most cases. To simplify the illustration I show three arms. rlhey are made of wire and shaped to have a hub 17, at their inner end whereby they are fitted upon post 10, resting one above the other and all supported on a collar 18, secured to said post by a setscrew 1Q.

Another collar 20, on post 10, above the hubs holds them down in position. 'lhe arms are bent and so shaped that each near its connected end or hub forms a wrist 21, the wire being simply turned down to forni a vertically depending portion thereat as shown. These vertical portions are of graduated heights, so that, while the hubs are superposed one above the other, the arms themselves are nevertheless all arranged at even hciO'ht as best shown in Fig. l. These wrists serve for attachment at one of their ends of springs 22, their other ends being attached to the side of collar 19. rIhey are placed flat-wise against each other and against 'the side of the collar so that one fastening device, a screw 23, may secure them all.

As shown in Fig. l, light steel-bands are presumed to constitute these springs.

Pliable elastic material like rubber-bands is shown in Fig. 5. In this case thc side of collar 18, is preferably grooved to receive these bands and to prevent them from slipping 'I he normal tendency of springs 22, is to hold arms 16, to the left side of post 10, and above the left part of the music-rack as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1, and 3, so that, when they are swung over to the other side, these springs are set under tension, or wound. Stops secure either of these positions of the arms on each side of post 10.

The position first mentioned on the left side of the post is secured by a stop 24, against which the arms normally rest as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3 and against which they strike when swung over by the springs.

They are held on the right side, after manside.

ually swung over there, by a pivotally supported trigger 25, which is held to one side until the arms have passed behind it, after which it is permitted to return to its normal position in front of them. Both, stop 24, and trigger 25, are supported by a rail 26, which, between its ends, is rigidly attached to the upper end of post 10. This rail is omitted in Figs. 1, and 5 to prevent obstruction of parts to be illustrated below it. 1n Figs. 6 and 7, it is shown in cross-section.

For its actuation, trigger 25 is provided with an arm 27, to the end of which a cord 28, is attached which, by means of a guideroller 29, is directed into a position where it may be readily reached for convenient manipulation. It may simply hang down 'to be gripped by the hand whenever necessary. 0r in case of a music-stand it may pass down close to the Hoor to be attached to a treadle thereat. Or as shown, the end of this cord may connect to a hand-lever 81, supported in a convenient position, to be tapped b y the hand whenever it is required to turn a sheet. rlhis position may be one on the piano above the key-board, or on the side of the musicrack as shown.

A spring 82, holds trigger 25, in the normal position shown in Fig. 1, in which it holds arms 16, against the action of their springs, which seek to swing them over to the other It also returns the trigger` to this position whenever the latter is manipulated by cord 28. lllhen so manipulated, the trigger assumes a temporary position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which it releases the Y foremost one of arms 16, and permits the same, impelled by its spring 22, to swing over to the left side as shown by the arrow in Fig. 8. The leaf suspended on this arm is thereby carried over to the other side, and the leaf back of it is exposed. To prevent the arm on which this latter leaf is suspended, from also following the released arm, a restraining pawl 88, is pro Tided which, while trigger 25, moves off from in front of the foremost arm, asses simultaneously in front of this arm behind, thereby holding this latter back while the trigger is in inoperative position and unable to do so. To insure this simultaneous movement, trigger 25, and pawl 38, are arranged to move together and as one, the pawl projecting for such purpose from the same hub 84 from which the trigger projects. This latter, pawl 33, and arm 27, form therefore a connected structure as shown in Figs. 1, and 7.

There is sufficient space between the arms, as will be seen in Fig. 7, to permit pawl 83, to enter between them, such space being produced by and due to the presence of members 35, and 36, of clamps B, part of which members for their connection encircle arms 16, and thereby keep them spaced apart. The construction of these clamps B, which support the music-sheets at their upper edges is illustrated in Figs. 8, and 9. Uf the two members which comprise them, member 85, is formed of a wireframe, the ends of the wire being rigidly attached to. arm 16,while the other member. 86, in form of a flap, is yieldingly supported on the arm with reference to the first member. A manipulating lever 37 is used for such support which is mounted upon arm 16 and eX- tended upwardly to form a handle 38, whereby said flap may be raised off of member 85, to admit a leaf. A spring 89, returns it and clamps the leaf in place. One of these clamps is shown only in Figs. 2 and 7, dotted lines being used in the latter case to prevent obscuration of other parts.

That portion of post 10 which is above the music rack is bent forward, as shown, to cause arms 16, with the leaves suspended thereon, to be in proper position with reference to the front of the music-rack.

Use and manipulation of the device will now be readily understood. The musicsheets intended to be used are first attached in proper order to arms 16, by means of clamps B.

The arms are then swung over to the right side, the trigger being held out of the way until they are in position after which it is permitted to pass in front of them after which the sheets are held convenient for reading. This movement of the arms at the same time puts the springs under tension.

v","Yhen it is now desired to turn a leaf over, it is only necessary to act upon cord 28, either by direct pull on it, or by tapping lever 81, when the trigger will release the leaf in front, thereby exposing the one back of it. Pawl 83, prevents this latter leaf from following. The tension of the springs may be regulated by adjusting collar 18, on post 10.

Having described my invention, I claim as new:

1. In a music-leaf turner, the combination of a series of arms provided with leaf-holding means, a post upon which they are pivotally supported, a collar rigidly mounted upon the post, superposed springs one for each arm, all connected with one of their ends to the side of this collar and with their other ends each to one of the arms, and means whereby these arms are all held on one side of the post against the normal action of their' springs and whereby they may be released one by one,

2. In a music-leaf turner, the combination of a series of arms provided with leaf-holding means between their ends and with hubs at one of their ends, a post to which these hubs are fitted, a collar rigidly secured to this post upon which the hubs rest, one above the other, the arms being shaped near their hubs to have vertically disposed wrists Which are of graduated heights, so that the arms thereat against the action of their springs,

are all at even height, springs one for each means to manipulate the trigger' to release arm, each attached with one of its ends to the the foremost arm, and a pawl which detams the arm back of the foremost arm while th1s wrist of one of the arms and all attached with their other ends to the collar mentioned and means whereby the arms are all held on one side of the post against the normal action of these springs and released therefrom, one after the other.

ln a music-leaf turner, the combination of a post, a rail rigidly connected between its ends to the upper end of this post, a stop depending from this rail near one of its ends,

supported on the post below this rail,

ated trigger pivotally supported at the other end of the rail whereby the arms may beheld latter is being released.

4. In a music-leaf turner, the combination of a series of spring-actuated arms adapted to support sheets of music, a post upon which they are pivotally supported, means to manipulate the arms for the intended purpose,

and a clamp into which the post is adjustably fitted and whereby the entire device is detachably secured in position. arms adapted to support music pivotally ln testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.- springs whereby they are normally held; against the stop mentioned, a spring-actu- 1 WILLIAM A. HEXT. v7litnesses:

C. SPENGEL, T. LE BEAU. 

